By Andrew Sobel
RainToday.com Note: This is part one of a two-part series. In this first section, Sobel shares eight of the fifteen pitfalls to avoid while working with clients. Next week, stay tuned for the final seven pitalls.
Serving clients requires constant vigilance. While we are forced as consumers to tolerate personal computers or cell phones which frequently malfunction, we know that a single mistake during a client engagement could seriously damage—or, at worst, end—a client relationship. Here is a compendium of what I have found are some of the most common pitfalls of advising clients.
1. The Wrong Client
The right client is the individual who owns the problem at hand, can act on your recommendations and/or engage your services, and can authorize your fees. Often—especially in a large organization—multiple individuals will fulfill these various roles. Some typical pitfalls include:
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